or


[01/14/10 - 09:15 AM]
Primates and Big Cats and Snakes, Oh MY... Animal Planet Explores Cautionary Tales of Love Doomed from the Start
"Fatal Attractions," a three-part series, premieres Sunday, March 14 at 10:00/9:00c.

[via press release from Animal Planet]

PRIMATES AND BIG CATS AND SNAKES, OH MY... ANIMAL PLANET EXPLORES CAUTIONARY TALES OF LOVE DOOMED FROM THE START

What causes this human fascination with dangerous animals?

-- FATAL ATTRACTIONS miniseries premieres Sunday, March 14 --

(Pasadena, Calif., January 14, 2010) -- "I don't regret any of it," says Julie Burros, former owner of a fullgrown black leopard that nearly killed her. "The only thing I regret is that I lost my JoJo."

Julie has loved animals all her life, so when she came across a black leopard for sale in an exotic pet magazine, she jumped at the opportunity and brought home Jovani, who she affectionately called JoJo. One ordinary February afternoon, Julie suffered the shock of her life. In his backyard enclosure, Jovani unexpectedly jumped on Julie and nearly ripped off her ear. Jovani's wild instincts set in - once he caught scent of the blood, he pinned down Julie and tore off a good portion of her scalp with his teeth. From then, a sequence of events put the cops in Julie's back yard and four bullets - two in Jovani's belly, one in his hip and one to his head. Julie lived but Jovani didn't.

Exotic pet ownership is not as rare as one might think - or as wildlife experts would wish. Millions of exotic animals are brought to the United States in any given year. A significant number of these pets have the potential to severely injure or kill their owners, neighbors or family. In FATAL ATTRACTIONS, ANIMAL PLANET'S three-part miniseries premiering Sunday, March 14, at 10 PM ET/PT, get inside the minds of people who own venomous reptiles, deadly big cats and chimpanzees as we try to understand what drives their obsessions and offer a cautionary tale. While their love, admiration and intrigue is genuine, these exotic pet owners often ignore the fact that their choice of a pet could cost them, innocent bystanders or their beloved pets their lives. Why is it that some people are comfortable with domestic pets like cats and dogs but others find companionship and love from animals that have the strong potential to kill them?

"Many of the characteristics of animal hoarding appear to be present in many of the cases of dangerous, exotic animal ownership," says Josephine Martell, program director of the Captive Wild Animal Protection Campaign. Martell's background is in animal welfare policy, and she has first hand knowledge of exotic pet ownership through investigative work and animal rescues. "In particular, many owners of dangerous animals, such as big cats, are in complete denial about the needs or safety concerns of large, free-ranging carnivores. Many of these owners, like animal hoarders, also profess to love their animals regardless of the conditions they may be keeping them in and seem to believe that the animals truly love them in return.

"It's common for exotic animal owners to believe they have a special kinship with their animals," says Martel, "often to a degree that becomes extreme when they compromise their own and others safety as well as the welfare of the animals."

Montana resident Jeanne Rizzotto, owner of two young adult male chimpanzees Connor and Kramer, is fully aware of the risk of parenting two primates; however, her love for these chimps seems to outweigh her concern for her own life. Having purchased these primates under what she describes as false pretenses - the previous owner told her one would go to AIDS research and the other would be put down - Jeanne vowed to give "her boys" the best life possible. [Editor's Note: The previous owner denies these claims were made to Ms. Rizzotto and asserts that chimps born in its facility would not be given to research or put down.] And even though Jeanne personally knew the infamous Travis the Chimp, who brutally disfigured Charla Nash last February in Connecticut - Travis is Kramer and Connor's half brother - Jeanne remains faithful to her conviction that she's doing the right thing, "her thing." Both Jeanne's story and the tragic tale of Travis and Charla Nash are told in the third episode of FATAL ATTRACTIONS.

Not everyone has been as fortunate as Jeanne or even Julie; both of the people featured in FATAL ATTRACTIONS' reptile episode are deceased. One man was presumed eaten alive by one of his many monitor lizards, and one woman didn't survive the bite of her pet viper.

"I discourage venomous reptile ownership of any kind," says Winston Card, expert herpetologist who has several decades experience with reptiles and anti-venom research. "I consider this type of "pet" ownership as extreme because not only does it put the owner at risk and everyone who comes in contact with the venomous reptile, but the risk also reverberates outward to the zoo community."

In each hour-long episode, several exotic pet ownership cases are carefully reenacted, scrutinized and questioned. Human behavior experts and animal authorities bring forth their educated opinions and analysis. Owners unhesitatingly share their experiences with exotic pets and offer explanations as to why their love for these deadly animals are worth the risk for something horrible -- even death - to happen. FATAL ATTRACTIONS kicks off with the reptile episode March 14, at 10 PM ET/PT followed by the March 21 premiere of big cats and the March 28 premiere of chimpanzees.

FATAL ATTRACTIONS is produced for Animal Planet by Oxford Scientific Films. Executive producer for Oxford Scientific Films is Caroline Hawkins; Clare Birks is CEO for Oxford Scientific Films. Erin Wanner is executive producer for Animal Planet. Vice President of Development for Animal Planet is Charlie Foley.

Animal Planet Media (APM), a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the world's only entertainment brand that immerses viewers in the full range of life in the animal kingdom with rich, deep content via multiple platforms and offers animal lovers and pet owners access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for immersive, engaging, highquality entertainment, information and enrichment. APM consists of the Animal Planet television network, available in more than 96 million homes in the US; online assets www.animalplanet.com, the ultimate online destination for all things animal; the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond; Petfinder.com, the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption; and other media platforms including a robust Video-on-Demand (VOD) service; mobile content; and merchandising extensions.





  [january 2010]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· FATAL ATTRACTIONS (ANIMAL PLANET)





[03/27/24 - 01:43 PM]
FOX Entertainment Unveils New Structure with Three-Pillar Focus on Global Studio Operations, Linear & Streaming Platforms and Worldwide Sales & Licensing
The new FOX Entertainment will consist of three primary business segments, including FOX Entertainment Studios, the FOX Television Network and FOX Entertainment Global.

[03/27/24 - 01:03 PM]
Video: "Big Mood" - Official Trailer - A Tubi Original
Best friends Maggie and Eddie have lived in each other's pockets for ten years. But with the future looming, can their relationship survive?

[03/27/24 - 12:32 PM]
This April, Series "Mud Madness" Debuts on Discovery Channel, Alongside All-New Seasons of "Ghost Adventures: House Calls" and "Contraband: Seized at the Border"
"Mud Madness" is a brand-new series that follows the off-road subculture of extreme Big-Tire UTV mud racing and the passionate characters that drive the sport.

[03/27/24 - 12:25 PM]
Ten American Bakers Travel to Paris for Food Network's Ultimate Pastry Competition "Next Baking Master: Paris"
Premiering Monday, May 6, the series demands that competitors prove their mettle in the pillars of great baking and pastry: technique, artistry, flavor, innovation, and inspiration.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Video: HBO Releases Official Teaser for "The Jinx - Part Two," Debuting April 21
In Part Two, the filmmakers continue their investigation for the next eight years, uncovering hidden material, Robert Durst's prison calls, and interviews with witnesses who had not come forward until now.

[03/27/24 - 12:00 PM]
Backstabbery Is Back as E! Announces Conniving New Cast of "House of Villains" Season Two, Premiering This Fall
Season one cast member Tiffany "New York" Pollard returns for a chance at redemption.

[03/27/24 - 10:02 AM]
Lifetime Greenlights "Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story" Starring Jana Kramer and Austin Nichols
Kramer, who has openly spoken about domestic abuse, will film a new a PSA for Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women initiative to align with the subject matter of this movie.

[03/27/24 - 10:00 AM]
"The Steve Wilkos Show" Renewed for 18th Season in National Syndication
The show is hosted by Steve Wilkos, the straightforward, tough-talking former Chicago police officer and United States Marine.

[03/27/24 - 09:59 AM]
Starz's Hit Drama Series "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" Scores Early Season Five Renewal
The third installment in the "Power" franchise, "Raising Kanan" recently concluded its explosive third season and is currently filming season four in New York.

[03/27/24 - 09:30 AM]
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively Officially Reuniting for Paul Feig-Helmed Sequel, "A Simple Favor 2"
The highly anticipated sequel is a co-production with Lionsgate and follows the studio's 2018 release of "A Simple Favor," which was a critical and commercial success, earning more than $97 million at the worldwide box office and achieving Certified Fresh status on Rotten Tomatoes.

[03/27/24 - 09:17 AM]
FOX Nation Partners with Martin Scorsese for New Docudrama "Martin Scorsese Presents: THE SAINTS"
Slated for November, the series will encompass eight one-hour episodes exploring the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody humanity's most noble and complex trait - faith.

[03/27/24 - 09:00 AM]
Academy Award Winner and Tony Award Nominee Ariana DeBose Returns to Host "The 77th Annual Tony Awards," Airing Live Sunday, June 16, on CBS and Paramount+
DeBose will also serve as producer and choreograph the opening number for this year's show.

[03/27/24 - 08:58 AM]
"NKOTB" Bandmate Jonathan Knight Returns for Season Three of Hit HGTV Series "Farmhouse Fixer" on Tuesday, April 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT
The series, which attracted more than 15 million viewers to its previous season, will follow Jon, best known as a member of the Grammy-nominated band New Kids on the Block, and his go-to designer Kristina Crestin, as they take on a slew of risky renovations.

[03/27/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Good Times" - Official Trailer - Netflix
In this edgy, irreverent reimagining of the TV classic, a new generation of the Evans family keeps their heads above water in a Chicago housing project.

[03/27/24 - 06:01 AM]
Hulu on Disney+ Launches Today in the U.S. for Disney Bundle Subscribers
Bundle plans are available starting at $9.99/month, while Disney+ and Hulu each remain available as standalone offerings.